Bhubaneswar, October 6: Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth will inaugurate the 12th National Maritime Search & Rescue Exercise (SAREX-2026) on October 7, and witness SAR Demo off Paradip coast on October 8, being organised by the Indian Coast Guard.

A key highlight of this exercise is the international participation of 32 observers from 30 countries, underscoring the cooperative protocols, strategic importance, and global interoperability of the drill.

SAREX-2026 will be one of the largest and most complex SAR exercises ever conducted in the region, deploying 15 Coast Guard ships, two Dornier aircraft, three Advanced Light Helicopters, a Chetak helicopter, IAF C-130J and Mi-17 aircraft, two Indian Navy ships, civil/state assets, and shore-based support units.

The exercise will simulate a Mass Rescue Operation involving concurrent aeronautical and maritime distress situations; including ditching of a passenger aircraft at sea with 228 persons onboard and its impact with container vessel MV Zumba.

The Indian Coast Guard will also convene the 24th National Maritime Search & Rescue (NMSAR) Board Meeting at Bhubaneswar under the Chairmanship of Director General Paramesh Sivamani, Director General, Indian Coast Guard. Deliberations will focus on strengthening national SAR preparedness, enhancing distress-alert management, and ensuring faster mobilisation of rescue assets through technology integration and seamless inter-agency coordination.

The 24th NMSAR Board Meeting and SAREX-2026 highlight India's resolve to build a faster, technology-enabled and internationally connected SAR framework, in consonance with the vision of SAGAR and the spirit of MAHASAGAR.